YouTube ads have been one of the main sources of income for this platform for years, but also a frequent reason for user dissatisfaction. Especially problematic are the so-called ads that you cannot avoid and skip, which until now could last up to 30 seconds. Because of this, some users resorted to ad blockers, while YouTube took a firm position that the only alternative was to subscribe to the Premium option.
However, the situation is now changing as the government of Vietnam has decided to intervene. In that country, a new regulation was adopted limiting the duration of mandatory video ads to a maximum of 5 seconds. The rule goes into effect on February 15 and applies not only to YouTube, but also to other major platforms such as: Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.
Vietnam introduces strict rules for YouTube and online ads
According to the new regulation, all mandatory video and animated ads must be shorter than five seconds. Also, static banners and ad images must no longer force the user to wait a certain amount of time before closing them. The aim of this measure is to improve the user experience and reduce aggressive advertising.
Although public reactions are mostly positive, the question remains how the platforms will respond to the new restrictions. It is not ruled out that YouTube will resort to showing multiple consecutive five-second ads, which would formally comply with the law, but maintain a similar level of ad load.
For now, it is certain that Vietnam has set a precedent and shown that state regulation can really influence the practice of large technology platforms. Whether other countries will follow this example and whether the advertising war between YouTube and users will really calm down remains to be seen.